{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1515;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs21 The Midwestern Division in the Department of Pathology at The Ohio State University Medical Center\par (OSUMC) will continue to operate as a productive, efficient, and valuable participant of the Cooperative\par Human Tissue Network (CHTN) for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). We will maintain a consortium\par procurement team that consists of OSUMC, Cleveland Clinic, and Case Western Reserve University. The\par Midwestern Division is the primary division for research investigators in the geographical north-midwest of\par the US as well as all of Canada. Our division will continue to provide human normal, diseased, benign, and\par malignant surgical and autopsy tissues, expand collections for fluids, and provide extended services for\par nucleic acid isolation and tissue microarray (TMA) construction from tissues. Remnant tissues obtained for\par the CHTN will be examined and selected grossly and quality controlled using histological review by a\par surgical pathologist. Tissues will be procured based on investigator-specified guidelines and shipped by\par express mail service. Typical methods of procurement include liquid nitrogen (LN2) snap frozen tissues,\par OCT medium frozen tissue in LN2 cooled isopentane, gauze-wrapped fresh tissues in cooled saline, fresh\par tissue in transport tissue culture medium with or without supplements, formalin, and gluteraldehyde fixed\par tissues. Investigator applications are prioritized according to the CHTN charter of NCI-funded academic,\par academic, industry researchers, respectively. The CHTN has common CHTN system-wide software to track\par investigator requests where changes made to each investigator's request are completed in real-time for\par accuracy in procurement. The Midwestern Division will conduct this research activity meeting the required\par HIPAA and human subjects' requirements, which may use a combination of anonymity, waived consent, and\par informed consent for the collection and use of specimens by CHTN investigators. The OSUMC information\par warehouse will also by used by the Midwestern Division to provide OSUMC patient-related disease\par associated data. The Midwestern Division will participate at every level of activity in the CHTN group by\par attending Coordinating Committee (CC) Meetings, serving on CC subcommittees, attend national scientific\par meetings and in regional venues to advertise the CHTN to the research public. We will continue to be a very\par active CHTN member contributing to the documentation and improvement of "best practices" for the\par research community, continue our membership in ISBER and other scientific venues to provide leadership ,in\par the arena of biospecimen collection, processing, storage, distribution, and research. Our efforts for the\par CHTN will aid public health by providing a consistent resource of human biospecimens for cancer research\par for the development of new information that will improve diagnosis and treatment for all cancers.\fs20\par \par }